Hydrolife Magazine June/July 2016 (CAN Edition)

grow. heal. live. enjoy. 

HEALING A NATION 

FREE 

MEDICAL GRADE STRAINS 

TREATING YOURSELF 

EDIBLES FOR HEALTH 

JUNE/JULY 2016

inside 

06 from the publisher / 08 own it / 10 ask kyle / 26 ask a nurse / 64 the chill list 

grow. 

12 Grams Per Day: Cannabis Yield Analysis 

18 Producer Profile: Broken Coast Cannabis 

20 4 Common Myths About Cannabis 

24 Striving to Survive: 

Essential Oils, Glandular Trichomes 

& the Secondary Metabolism 

heal. 

28 The Healing Properties of Cannabis: 

5 Strains High in CBD 

30 Meeting Medical Cannabis Needs with More 

Stable Genetics 

34 Cannabis & Pets: 

Medicating Man's Best Friend 

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live. 

38 Prescribing Cannabinoids: 

The Terpine Connection 

44 Remedy and Relief: Cannabis for the Skin 

48 Does Cannabis Use Reduce Opiate Use? 

enjoy. 

54 Drink Your Medicine 

58 Baking a Fool of Myself: 

the No Frownie Brownie 

62 The Hemp Revival 

myhydrolife.ca grow. heal. live. enjoy. 5

from the publisher 

GROW. 

HEAL. 

LIVE. 

ENJOY. 

More and more, the healing properties of 

cannabis are becoming recognized not just 

through unofficial anecdotes and hearsay, 

but through clinical trials and university studies. 

Cannabis is once again becoming a legitimate 

alternative to traditional medicines, though when 

we say traditional, we are only going back a couple 

of generations. 

Our relatives who were alive in the early 20 th 

century were well aware of the healing properties 

cannabis offers. It was a common remedy for many 

ailments before modern pharmaceutical companies 

formed. Since then, medicine has become much 

more complex, as have standards that are required 

before introducing them to the public. 

In this edition of Hydrolife we explore how, rather 

than being a gateway, cannabis is actually 

reducing reliance on opiates used commonly for 

pain treatment. We also take a look at the many 

methods that can be employed for using cannabis 

for pain management. It can be used in baking, 

in drinks, or even soothing balms or stimulating 

creams—far more appealing than the usual “take it 

with water and swallow” approach. 

But where to start? Our Ask a Nurse column 

provides helpful tips for those considering 

cannabis, and our writers have gone to great efforts 

to explain how various strains have different 

effects and qualities. We even venture into the 

benefits medicinal cannabis may offer our furry 

four-legged friends. 

Hydrolife strives to connect people of all walks in 

the budding industry of medicinal cannabis, and 

often it is people’s stories that really bring this 

effort to light. 

So in this edition of Hydrolife we invite you to 

Grow, Live and Heal, but most of all, Enjoy! 

june/july 2016 

volume 1 - number 2 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Ben Burkhardt 

Augustus Dunning 

Jessica Ferneyhough 

Marina Márquez Gomez 

Colleen Graham 

Grubbycup 

Kyle Kushman 

Kyle Ladenburger 

Sharon Letts 

Jean LeRoy 

Lee G. Lyzit 

Alex Rea 

Watermelon 

Published by 

Hydrolife Magazine 

Inquiries to 

info@myhydrolife.ca 

No part of this magazine may be reproduced 

without permission from the publisher. The 

views expressed by columnists are personal 

opinions and do not necessarily reflect those 

of Hydrolife or the editor. 

Publication agreement number 40739092 

Printed in Canada 

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3 

1 

2 

4 

own it 

1. AiroClean420 is a NASAdeveloped, 

FDA-approved, 

non-chemical (no ozone) 

air sanitation solution 

that helps prevent fungal 

disease contamination in the 

growroom. Contaminated 

air is continuously 

processed through a 

patented bio-conversion 

reactor that destroys 

powdery mildew, downy 

mildew, gray mould and 

blight. This technology is 

both environmentally and 

user-friendly. The Airo- 

50 Model can be easily 

integrated or retrofitted into 

indoor environments during 

all propagating, growing 

and drying stages. 

– airoclean420.com 

2. Boveda Humidity Packs 

are essential for storing 

cannabis. Boveda invented 

and holds the patents on 

two-way humidity control. 

Since 2012, their 62% has 

become the global standard 

for curing, storing and 

merchandising flowers. 

A study by Excelsior Labs 

reveals why—cannabis 

stored with Boveda retains 

15% more terpenes, leading 

to higher-quality flowers and 

the elimination of weight 

lost due to evaporation. 

– bovedainc.com 

3. THC Necklace is a 

bold and stylish necklace 

instantly recognizable by 

fellow cannabis enthusiasts. 

Made from a strong yet 

lightweight stainless steel, 

the necklace comes in matte 

black, 24-kt. gold gloss or 

unfinished stainless steel. 

It also comes in two sizes: 

large molecule is 3x1.5 in. 

on a 15-in. chain while small 

molecule is 1.1x2 in. on a 

17-in. chain. Molecules are 

paired with a double-linked 

silver plated, gun metal or 

gold-filled chain. 

– arohasilhouettes.com 

4. Precision Extraction 

Solution’s award-winning 

PX1 is a professional, 

closed-loop, light 

hydrocarbon cannabis 

extraction system that 

processes up to 5 Ibs. of 

input material per run. With 

a 55-minute active recovery 

time and patent pending 

on-demand temperature 

control, the PX1 is the most 

efficient extraction system 

on the market. Utilized by 

the nation’s top extraction 

professionals, the PX1 is 

compliant in all regulated 

jurisdictions and comes 

with available onsite 

training and support. 

– precisionextraction.com 

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5 

6 

7 

8 

5. Canna-Bliss Creamer 

is made with organic 

coconut milk and allnatural 

ingredients. Put 

this fast-acting non-dairy 

creamer in your coffee or 

tea and feel the effects 

by the time you finish 

your cup. Canna-Bliss 

Creamer will aid sufferers 

of insomnia, anxiety, pain 

and appetite loss, as well 

as those who have a low 

sex drive. 

– apikaiproducts.com 

6. The Buckle Puffer is a 

fully concealed pipe in a 

belt buckle. It is a naturally 

versatile fashion accessory 

that goes with just about 

everything, from suits to 

jeans. The industrial nickel 

plating gives the Buckle 

Puffer its bright shine and 

long-lasting durability. 

Precision sealing prevents 

the emission of any 

noticeable odour. The 

Buckle Puffer uses a 

patent-pending magnetic 

closure technology and is 

made in the USA. 

– bucklepuffer.com 

7. MagicalButter is the 

perfect kitchen helper you 

can use to make herbal 

butters, oils, tinctures, 

sauces, salad dressings, 

skin care products and 

more. It has the capacity 

to hold 2-5 cups of 

liquid. The included filter 

ensures your end product 

is perfectly strained of 

plant matter. Free up your 

stovetop and speed up 

the process of infusing 

your own medicines with 

the MagicalButter, which 

comes with a LoveGlove, 

PurifyFilter and 110-V 

power cord. 

– magicalbutter.com 

8. The CannaKeeper is 

made in the USA using 1 / 16 

in. plys, giving a signature 

striped exposed edge. 

The process provides a 

unique look while ensuring 

the edges remain straight 

forever. This handmade 

box features a sealed, 

humidity-controlled main 

compartment emitting no 

odours, and a humidity 

disc that stays hydrated for 

up to four weeks, needing 

just a tablespoon of water 

to rehydrate. It also comes 

with a lock and key to 

protect from children or 

pets. Comes in two- or sixcompartment 

trays. 

– summit-sol.com 


ask kyle 

Q 

I have an indoor growroom and in my recent harvest I found seeds in the 

buds, but I’m sure there are no male plants in the room. I’ve heard that 

light leakage can cause plants to become hermaphrodites. Is this true, 

and if so, do you have any tips for avoiding this? 

Thank you, 

Amy L. 

a 

Cannabis plants are monecious. 

This means they have 

the ability to be either male 

or female. Or in the case of 

hermaphroditism, they can 

be both. The reason to make sure there 

are no males or hermaphrodites in your 

garden is because male flowers make 

pollen. When pollen touches the white 

hairs on a flower, it makes a seed, and 

seeded weed gives you headaches. Even 

though there are reasons in nature hermaphroditism 

could be important, such 

as continuing the species in case there 

is no male present, hermaphroditism 

is generally a bad thing when talking 

about cannabis plants. 

Light poisoning is the most common 

cause for a normal plant to hermaphrodite. 

Light poisoning refers to the flowering 

night cycle of a plant being unnaturally 

interrupted with light. The best way 

to prevent this is to close yourself inside 

your darkened room during the daylight, 

and then after allowing a few minutes 

for your eyes to adjust to the dark, check 

for any light leaks from covered windows, 

door jams, etc. Also cover all timer 

and appliance lights with tape. 

Negative stressors can combine with 

small interruptions of the light cycle 

to cause hermaphroditism, especially 

with less-stable, clone-only hybridized 

strains. When the night cycle is abnormally 

interrupted, it sends a mixed 

hormonal signal to the plant. This can 

cause a full female plant to throw some 

male flowers. Male flowers are easy to 

identify, especially when side by side 

with female flowers. Male flowers look 

like small bunches of bananas, which 

will take a week or two to swell before 

they burst and release their pollen. 

Finding a hermaphrodite in your 

growroom can happen at any stage of 

the flowering cycle and is indicated by 

the presence of male flowers growing 

on the same plant as female flowers. As 

with all species in nature this can occur 

in varying degrees. A plant can become 

slightly or majorly hermaphroditic. In 

cases where singular male flowers are 

found between the branch and stalk 

nodes, you should be diligently removing 

them as they grow. You must reinspect 

the plant top to bottom every few 

days to be sure pollination and seeding 

doesn’t occur. If you find male flowers 

(anthers) actually growing from within 

the female flowers (buds) the situation 

is a little more dire. You can still remove 

all the male anatomy as it appears, but 

it will be harder to find and much more 

prevalent. This is a horrible discovery 

that leads to a tough decision: Should 

you let the plant live and risk the whole 

crop being ruined by seeds? 

In either case, once hermaphroditism 

has compromised the safety and purity 

of your sensimilla, the plant should not 

be propagated further. Remember, once 

a hermy, always a hermy. The plant pictured 

here is in the tenth and what should 

have been the final week of ripening, but 

a timer failed and one light stayed on 

continuously for almost two weeks, causing 

this vegetative regrowth. Because the 

light was continuous, the plant made no 

pollen. This method of re-vegging can be 

used to save a flowering plant you have 

no copies of, but be careful, as this may 

cause some strains to hermaphrodite. 

Purposefully causing a plant to hermaphrodite 

is called selfing. Gibberellic 

acid or colloidal silver is typically 

sprayed onto the female plant. This 

technique is used to make feminized 

seeds and uses the plant’s ability to be 

both male and female to force a female 

plant to produce male flowers. The pollen 

contained in these male flowers can 

only produce female seeds. Just keep 

in mind that feminized plants should 

not be used for breeding, as they were 

produced without a true male, making 

them genetically inferior. 

Kyle Kushman is an internationally renowned marijuana 

cultivator whose collaborations have earned 13 Medical 

Cannabis Cup awards, including three US Cannabis Cups for 

Best Flowers. As the creator of Vegamatrix, the only line of 

vegan and organic nutrients designed for growing cannabis, 

Kyle continues to make advances for people who want to 

cultivate the purest, cleanest medicine possible. 

Do you have a question for Kyle? 

Email editor@myhydrolife.com to get an answer. 

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grow 

Grams Per Day 

CANNABIS 

YIELD 

ANALYSIS 

by Ben Burkhardt | Whether you’re a small-time 

home grower or large producer, evaluating crop 

performance affects critical decision making when it 

comes to the bottom line. But how does one account 

for flowering time and weight yielded to obtain a value 

for crop output? Ben Burkhardt shines some light on 

how he devised an analysis of true yield results. 

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grow 

The key metric in cannabis cultivation 

is yield of dried flowers and it is 

the primary focus for every gardener 

regardless of whether they are growing 

boutique, small-batch artisan cannabis, 

or large-batch, low-cost flowers. A 

crop’s output largely dictates the cost to 

grow it, which is to say that a large yield 

typically trumps the other variables 

within a cost of goods analysis. One 

would use this data analysis process to 

determine, for example, if a particular 

costly supplement is worth it, or what 

the return on investment might be on a 

state-of-the-art lighting technology, or 

whether a particular genotype (clone) 

might be suitable for increased production 

in the garden. 

For years cannabis cultivators would 

speak of their yields in terms of how 

many pounds or kilos they produced 

of dried, processed flowers per 1,000-W 

flowering light. A good crop might have 

led the happy gardener to say, “I got 

two pounds per light!” Although this 

method of measuring a batch’s (or crop’s) 

result does give some indication of what 

was achieved, it does not account for 

the wide window of different genetics’ 

flowering times. While the right cut of 

Sweet Tooth No. 3 might finish in 42 days 

of flowering, a Super Silver Haze may 

take as long as 84 days, doubling the 

flowering time, thus it would have to 

yield double the dried grams per crop as 

the Sweet Tooth to yield the same when 

accounting for the time that the space 

was used to grow the batch. 

In order to account for both the flowering 

time and the weight yielded from a 

particular batch, I developed a simple 

and useful system of data analysis of 

true yield results and trends. First, the 

number of 1,000-W lights used in the 

batch is determined. Then the total 

grams of dried manicured flowers and 

the days of flowering time are assessed. 

The equation is as follows: Yield in 

grams ÷ number of lights ÷ days in 

flower = GPD average. 

Here’s an example: 1,000 grams yielded 

÷ 1 light ÷ 70 days in flower = 14.29. So 

this single light’s crop had a gram per 

day (GPD) average of 14.29. No matter 

how large or small a crop is, it can be 

measured as such, allowing an equal 

playing field of crop analysis irrespective 

of crop size or time it takes to flower 

particular genotypes. Here’s another example 

from a larger batch: 58,453 grams 

yielded ÷ 75 lights ÷ 67 days in flower = 

equals 11.63 grams per day. 

Upon examination, most batches 

yield between six and 16 grams per 

day. Anything below is essentially crop 

failure, anything above is phenomenal. 

I consider any garden operating at 10 or 

above acceptable, with 12 as a target. 

“A crop’s output 

largely dictates the 

cost to grow it, which 

is to say that a 

LARGE YIELD typically 

trumps the other 

variables within a cost 

of goods analysis.“ 

At that point there is potential to 

increase yield through tweaks to the 

environment, nutrient regimens and 

genotype (strain or cutting) selection. 

The GPD model can be used to 

assess anything from the yields 

of a specific time period from a 

specific section of the garden, to 

an individual gardener’s effectiveness, 

or to assess the profitability 

of different genotypes from a batch 

of seeds. It can be used to compare 

facilities, to finely adjust strainspecific 

nutrient regimens, or even 

to determine the ideal temperature 

and humidity levels for different 

genetics. As the long as the data 

gathered is accurate, it can be the 

best tool to maximize a garden’s 

performance, which is the ultimate 

engine of profitability. 

The GPD yield analysis model is 

the most effective method to monitor 

yield trends in your garden, whether 

you operate with a single light in a 

closet or manage a million watts. 

GDP provides clarity to the decisions 

that impact the bottom line on a 

daily basis. As the cultivation industry 

becomes more sophisticated, high 

level operators will need to use tools 

like the GPD yield analysis model to 

inform critical decisions. 

Ben Burkhardt entered the adolescent 

medical marijuana industry in 1998 

in San Francisco and then Los 

Angeles. He then relocated to Denver, 

where he owned and operated 

the largest indoor grow facility in 

the country, an infused products 

division and more than a dozen retail 

locations. He is now pursuing national 

and international opportunities with 

his company Sunlight Green Systems. 

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grow 

Producer 

Profile: 

Broken 

COAST 

Cannabis 

From humble beginnings, Vancouver Island’s 

Broken Coast Cannabis has emerged as one of the 

west coast’s best-known licensed medicinal cannabis 

producers. Head grower Kevin Anderson discusses 

the challenges Broken Coast has overcome and the 

approach it has taken to be successful. 

How did you get into growing? 

I’ve always been an avid plant 

lover. I quit my job after a couple 

of years as an electronics engineer 

to study arboriculture so I could 

work with trees. I also love growing 

fruit trees and vegetables and 

live in a home that is overcrowded 

with houseplants. Growing cannabis 

is just an extension of my 

love of plants but I like that I also 

get to use my more technical side 

as we have a fairly sophisticated 

growing space. 

How did you discover the products 

you use in your growroom? 

Reading books, browsing the Internet 

and magazines like Hydrolife, 

coupled with lots of trial and error. 

The key is to start simple, create 

the perfect environment, then look 

at how you’re growing the plants 

and perfect your particular system. 

Start with a low feed and increase 

the strength until the plants are 

just right. Pay attention to how they 

look through each stage of growth, 

slightly underfeeding the plants 

is usually better than over feeding 

them, so dialing upwards and not 

downwards is better in my opinion. 

What kinds of equipment do you find make 

the most difference in the garden? 

No one piece of equipment alone is 

key as all factors in your garden work 

together. Your garden will only be as 

strong as its weakest link. That said, 

achieving a perfect environment is 

probably the first place to start. Start 

by sealing up the room, removing 

the in and out air vents. This method 

of growing uses an air conditioner 

to cool the room while pure CO 2 is 

supplied at the optimal level for the 

plants to grow. This achieves a higher 

level of control and accuracy over the 

temperature and humidity of the room, 

coupled with the addition of elevated 

levels of CO 2. Growing in a sealed 

environment also helps keep the 

growroom sterile and free from pests. 

This is beneficial in a medical system 

where regulations are strict and the 

product must pass vigorous testing for 

pesticides, bacteria and mould. 

So I would say an air conditioner, dehumidifier 

and CO 2 controller are the 

most important pieces of equipment in 

the garden as they allow you to grow 

in a perfectly controlled environment. 

Once you have a perfect environment, 

how you grow your plants can be low 

tech, with some pots of coco or peat 

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moss that you feed by hand all the way 

up to a computer-controlled hydroponic 

system like we use at Broken Coast. 

What are you growing right now? 

We are currently cultivating several 

different varieties of cannabis. Some are 

varieties we have grown before, some 

are new varieties we have either crossed 

ourselves or selected from seed like Sour 

OG and Master Kush. Our current favourites 

are Super Lemon Haze, Pink Kush, 

God Kush and CBD Kush as these plants 

cover a wide range of cannabinoids and 

cannabis types, providing a wide choice 

for patients’ differing needs in only a 

few strains. We are currently undergoing 

a large expansion that will allow us 

to more than double our selection while 

maintaining a level of consistency for 

those patients who have found a strain 

that works for them. 

Any other advice to achieve a successful crop? 

Timing and rhythm. Leaning the correct 

time to perform tasks and the rhythm 

of your plants will help you improve on 

each grow and become one with your favourite 

strains. Knowing the exact time 

clones take to root so they are not left to 

stretch in the trays, when to transplant 

to achieve the fastest growth and the 

perfect size to initiate the flowering cycle 

can all make the difference between average 

and great results. Once flowering 

Your garden will 

only be as strong as 

its weakest link. 

is initiated, take notes and pay attention 

to the rhythm of the plant. How long and 

how much the plant stretches, when best 

to prune, when the first flowers appear 

and how long each stage of flowering 

lasts. With this information you can 

begin to tailor your feeding schedules 

to particular strains and keep them perfectly 

healthy from clone to harvest with 

no delays or stress to the plant. 

Tell us a bit about your industry experience. 

So far my experience has been great. 

Working at a small start-up has been 

really inspiring and motivating, and the 

guys at Broken Coast are an amazing 

group of people. We started with very 

little and built it ourselves, including the 

time I was holding a plumber’s wrench. 

Health Canada has extremely strict 

regulations but in the end we have tried 

to rise to each challenge and ended up 

better at what we do. There are definitely 

things I would like to see changed to 

make our lives easier—keeping track of 

every single seed, clone, plant and leaf 

to account for it being created, moved 

and disposed of takes up a lot of time. 

Maybe with full nationwide legalization 

these types of non-product quality 

related regulations will ease up. 

What recommendations do you have for 

someone who wants to get into the industry? 

First, you should be prepared for the 

job to be nothing like the stoner movies 

you’ve seen because the environment we 

work in is very strict. If you love plants 

and cannabis in general, then just give it 

all you’ve got but be prepared to start at 

the bottom and work your way up. There 

is always more to learn and it definitely 

never gets old! 


grow 

4 Common 

About Cannabis 

We know you’ve heard 

some of these myths before. 

Let’s clear the air, shall we? 

by Grubbycup 

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MYTH #1: 

Cannabis is hard to grow. 

TRUTH: Cannabis is actually a pretty 

easy plant to get a good harvest out of. 

In my opinion, it is about on par with 

tomatoes as far as difficulty level is 

concerned. There are only a few special 

things that have to be learned, such 

as dark periods, determining lighting 

levels, and figuring out when and how to 

harvest the buds. 

In general, cannabis isn’t a particularly 

finicky plant to grow. Unlike with fruits 

and vegetables, flower production is 

what is desired in pot plants—the pollination 

and fruit-set phases are generally 

skipped to avoid seeds (sinsemilla). In 

many areas, cannabis plants can grow 

wild outdoors without human intervention. 

In the days before seedless buds 

were the norm, cannabis seeds thrown 

out of car windows were known to take 

root along roadsides, resulting in what 

was known as ditch weed once stumbled 

upon and harvested. 

So why the confusion over difficulty 

levels? Many people see cannabis 

as hard to grow because there is 

a technical side to it for those who 

choose to pursue getting better at it. 

Someone can be taught how to make 

a grilled cheese sandwich in a matter 

of minutes, but cooking can be studied 

and improved upon dramatically over 

a lifetime. This doesn’t mean that one 

can’t eat grilled cheese sandwiches 

while learning how to make roast beef 

dinners with all the trimmings. 

While there is a lot that can be 

learned about growing cannabis well, 

growing a plant that produces at least 

something pretty much amounts to 

not killing it, setting the dark periods 

to flowering at the appropriate times, 

and then continuing not to kill it until 

harvest. The infamous loco weed is an 

easy plant to grow, but improvements 

in techniques will allow for bigger 

and more efficient harvests, and can 

improve the final product. 

MYTH #2 

Grams per watt is a good indicator 

of garden performance. 

TRUTH: Many folks will claim to get 

X amount of harvest out of Y number of 

watts of lighting. The trouble with using 

this number as a measure of success is 

that it doesn’t give a time value (duration) 

for how long the harvest took to 

grow. This is a flaw because it gives 

an unfair advantage to heavily trained 

large plants, even if they are less efficient. 

As an extreme case, take the 

example of the sea of green method (lots 

of small plants grown quickly) versus the 

screen of green method, which is a single 

(or few) plants heavily trained through 

a screen to maximize the canopy. Using 

grams per watt as an indicator of success 

in this case is misleading, as a sea of 

green may produce less weight per harvest 

but be a better-performing garden 

overall since it takes less time. (I am 

not advocating one style over the other, 

this is just as an example—there are 

other factors such as plant counts that 

should also be considered in a garden.) 

There is also the problem of comparing 

plants with different harvest times, for 

example, a quick-flowering indica versus 

a long-flowering sativa. 

A much more useful number to calculate 

is grams per day (GPD). Subtract the 

planting date from the harvest-start date 

to find the total number of days grown, 

then take the weight of the harvest and 

divide it by the number of days grown. 

This will show you how much harvest was 

produced each day. Calculating the GPD 

for each harvest allows a grower to compare 

the success of different grows even 

if the number of days for each is different. 

Once a baseline is established, GPD can 

also be used to calculate operating costs 

and estimate future harvest size. 

MYTH #3: 

Cannabis flowering is triggered by 

the length of the light periods. 

TRUTH: Part of the trouble behind this 

myth is that cannabis is said to be a shortday 

plant, which implies that it grows in 

size over the summer, and flowering is 

triggered by the shorter days of fall. The 

reason this thought leads to the myth 

is that it is wrong—cannabis flowering 

is triggered by the length of the dark 

periods. Specifically, photoreceptors in the 

leaves will signal the release of flowering 

hormones when exposed to the long, 

dark periods of fall, winter and spring, or if 

indoors long dark periods of 12 hours or so. 

These hormones will be used to trigger or 

continue flowering during the next lightson 

period. If the dark period is shortened or 

interrupted, the level of flowering hormone 

will drop, hindering flower development. 

“Calculating the GPD 

for each harvest 

allows a grower 

to compare the 

success of different 

grows even if the 

number of days for 

each is different.” 

MYTH #4: 

Cannabis grown in the such and such 

region is by far the best in the world. 

TRUTH: I’ve personally smoked enough 

of the “best” cannabis from around 

the globe to make the following claim 

with a clear conscience: after a certain 

level of quality, it is just about personal 

preference. Well-grown and cured cannabis 

tends to have a lot in common 

with other batches of well-grown and 

cured cannabis for other regions. There 

are some places where getting quality 

weed is more difficult, and the overall 

quality of street weed may vary, but the 

best weed from the West Coast, the East 

Coast, Spain, Amsterdam, etc., has so 

much in common it’s impossible to tell 

where it was grown just by the quality—provided 

you keep tobacco out of 

the Amsterdam sample, of course. In 

addition, what is best from one person’s 

perspective may not be the best as far 

as someone else is concerned. Everyone 

has different tastes and priorities, so 

keep an eye out for your personal favorites, 

no matter what the popular opinion 

seems to be, and realize that like fine 

wine, the differences get smaller the 

better it gets. 

Grubbycup has been an avid indoor 

gardener for more than 20 years. His articles 

were first published in the United Kingdom, 

and since then his gardening advice has 

been published in many languages. He 

is considered one of the world’s leading 

authorities on crochet hydroponics. 

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grow 

STRIVING TO SURVIVE: 

Essential Oils, 

Glandular Trichomes 

by Kyle L. Ladenburger 

& the Secondary Metabolism 

Have you ever wondered how and why cannabis and other plants 

produce those amazing compounds that essential oils are derived 

from? It all has to do with glandular trichomes—tiny, specialized, 

hair-like formations found on plant stems and leaves. 

Essential oils extracted from cannabis, as well as from herbs like mint 

and thyme, and from countless other plants, are key ingredients in 

products such as medicines, fragrances and flavourings. Demand 

for these products has been the driving force behind countless 

research studies conducted with the goal of understanding how 

and why plants produce these chemical compounds, and how 

growers can enhance their production. The research begins 

with the glandular trichomes. 

Glandular Trichomes 

Glandular trichomes are tiny, specialized, hair-like 

formations found on the epidermis of plant stems and 

leaves. They are the evolutionary by-products of plants 

striving to survive in tough environment. Though humans 

use them for their beneficial medicinal properties, we 

also enjoy their delicious flavours and amazing aromas. 

At the tip of the hairs are glandular cells that produce, 

store and eventually secrete exudates such as resins 

and oils. Nearly all plant species produce some sort 

of hair-like formation, but only about 30% of vascular 

plants have the ability to create these sought-after 

substances. Glandular trichomes come in several 

different shapes that are highly species-specific, to the 

point where they are often a characteristic used in the 

classification and identification of a plant species. 

In cannabis plants, the glandular trichomes produced on 

the older fan leaves or stems are smaller and cling tight to 

the leave. As the plant develops, the glandular trichomes 

on the vegetation surrounding the flowers begin to grow 

longer and give the bud a crystalized or powdered look. 

This is when the glandular trichomes are at peak production 

of exudates like THC and CBD. Other types of glandular 

trichome exudates include terpenoids, phenylpropenes, 

flavonoids and methyl ketones. Variations in the levels and 

types of these are what give different individual strains of 

cannabis their unique tastes, aromas and potencies. 

photo by Ryan Bushby 

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The Secondary Metabolism 

Glandular trichomes are not directly connected to a plant’s vascular system and therefore are not products of a 

plant’s primary metabolism. Primary metabolites—products of the primary metabolism—are compounds 

that play an important role in the basic life functions that allow plants to properly complete their full 

growth cycle, such as respiration, reproduction, cell division and growth. 

Secondary metabolite compounds, such as the exudates found in glandular trichomes, are not 

directly involved in these essential functions, but are still believed to play a major role in a 

plant’s ability to adapt to the dangers of their environment. In nature, these compounds provide a 

level of defense against possible antagonists with antifungal, antibiotic and antiviral properties. 

These properties are the reason these compounds are sought after for medicinal purposes. This 

is especially true in the case of cannabis, which can have both physiological and psychological 

benefits. Not only do secondary metabolites help protect plants from microscopic assailants, 

they also help protect them from various insects and animals. This is because some of the 

compounds secreted can cause severe discomfort 

“ 

Nearly 

all plant 

species produce 

some sort of hairlike 

formation, but 

only about 30% of 

vascular plants have 

the ability to create 

these sought-after 

substances. 

when ingested. In addition, they also contain UVray-absorbing 

compounds that protect the leaves 

from potential harm from sunlight. 

For years, scientists and growers alike have been 

working on ways to increase glandular trichome 

production in an effort to create and collect as 

much of the desired compounds from one plant as 

physically possible. Since glandular trichomes are 

the result of a plant’s protective measure against 

environmental dangers, the question is, “How do we 

simulate a stressful situation in nature to enhance 

the production of these secondary metabolites on our 

plants at home, without causing them harm?” 

Simulating a Stressful Situation 

A plant’s glandular trichome production potential 

is the result of genetics developed through 

interactions with the surrounding environment. Plants that evolved in a 

more threatening environment generally have a higher level of glandular 

trichome production. But through certain stimuli, production levels can be 

increased in the home garden. 

There are several ways to cause physical stress to a plant without 

greatly harming the growth cycle. For example, older leaves and 

branches can be cut to make the plant think it is under attack. Growers 

can also supplement with artificial UVA or UVB lighting in an effort 

to simulate some environmental stressors. In nature, UV radiation 

from the sun can reduce the rate of photosynthesis in the leaves. 

The glandular trichomes produced by the plant help protect it 

from different types of UV radiation. Supplementing UV indoors 

during the flowering cycle should, theoretically, have the same 

effect, resulting in greater glandular trichome production. 

There are several products that are marketed as having the 

ability to enhance glandular trichome production. I have used a 

few on my garden with satisfactory results, but just by looking at 

the product labels, it is hard to pinpoint the active ingredient or 

ingredients that provide such results. Studies show the naturally 

occurring plant hormone jasmonate plays an important role in 

triggering the pathways that create secondary metabolites, and 

scientists have figured out how to create a synthetic version of the 

hormone, called jasmonic acid. However, growers need to show due 

diligence and research any possible harms when considering using a 

growth-regulating hormone of any kind, especially if the plant is intended 

for eventual human consumption. 

Kyle L. Ladenburger is a freelance garden writer and an avid indoor and outdoor 

grower with a day job at Age Old Organics. His experiences with growing have led him 

to achieve a full and more vibrant life through a love of all things green. 


heal 

Herbal 

ASK A NURSE: TIPS FOR THE GAME 

Q 

Dear Nurse Jessica, 

I’m new to being a patient of cannabis, and I would 

like to know if you have some tips for the game. 

Sincerely, 

Jackie Despot 

Welcome aboard, Jackie. Glad to hear you’ve 

A 

saddled up with this band of cannabis 

connoisseurs to reconnect with yourself. Here 

are some personal tips to utilizing cannabis and 

getting comfortable with your kit and intake: 

• Get in the habit of charging your vaporizer every time 

you plug in your phone. Prepack it for the road and put it 

in your tote bag with your water bottle. Using cannabis is 

like drinking water, if you’re thirsty, drink! You’re not an 

addict, you’re human and you’ve finally found a medicine 

that works so break the stigma and shed the guilt. Just 

find the right strain for the right timing. 

• If you’re rolling joints, I find having a nice pre-rolled one 

can make or break the outcome of a day. Don’t compromise 

on papers, skip the chemicals, buy the pre-made filters 

and use them. I also keep a small set of scissors in my 

pouch to cut the burnt tips off my joints. I like to take two 

or three puffs and light it again later. 

• When it comes to edibles, everyone is different. Remember 

not to over indulge, the effects can creep in like ninjas 

wrapped in sugary goodness leaving you couch-locked 

and immobile in no time. The healthier the infused ingredients, 

the healthier the high. Personally, I limit myself to 

raw chocolate and my buzz never fails me. 

• Find a nice box or tin that you can use as your medicine 

kit and keep it somewhere for routine. 

• Get a journal and start keeping track of which strains 

you try at certain times and what the overall feeling is 

like for you. 

• Test particular strains by using one at a time. This is a 

nice way to ensure you really know what the effect is like 

and what time of day it would be most applicable for. 

• Get yourself some THC lube. It’s incredible and can be 

incorporated into your routine the same way your morning 

face cream is. Put a little on your face, a little on your 

labia. Make the day a little sweeter. 

• If you’re nervous about trying new strains, hook up with 

someone you trust and try doing strain and intake testing 

nights. Bring healthy snacks like a fruit salad, chips and 

hummus, veggies and some finger foods so you are guilt 

free about munching into the evening. 

Don’t be shy, roll up your sleeves and kick back into cannabis. 

It’s an interesting dance. Sometimes it’s good to dive in, 

sometimes it’s best to just have little bits here and there, and at 

some point you will just want to take a few days off. Enjoy this 

journey, Jackie, it’s only just beginning. 

Jessica Ferneyhough, a registered practical nurse, brings a 

unique approach to care, empowering patients as a medicinal 

cannabis nurse and horses for healing advocate. Do you have a 

question for Jessica? Email editor@myhydrolife.com. 

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heal 

The Healing Properties of Cannabis: 

5 

Strains High in 

CBD 

b y L e e G. L y 

z 

i 

t 

Just as many cannabis strains have 

been developed for their high-THC 

percentage, there is a rising number 

of cannabis strains being developed 

for their high-CBD content. Here 

are five strains to consider for their 

medicinal properties. 

When most people think about the 

medicinal properties of cannabis, 

they normally think of THC, or 

tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is the 

compound in cannabis responsible 

for the psychoactive effects 

associated with smoking, vaporizing 

or eating cannabis. In other words, 

THC is what makes you feel high. 

In addition to THC, there are many 

cannabinoids found in the cannabis 

plant—84 have been identified so 

far. One cannabinoid in particular, 

cannabidiol (CBD), has shown to 

have impressive medicinal properties 

and is now being incorporated 

in treatments for seizures, pain 

management and much more. 

CBD is shown to have tremendous 

medicinal potential. Unlike THC, 

CBD is non-psychoactive. This means 

you cannot get high on CBD alone. 

Though much more research needs to 

be done, CBD has been shown to treat 

epilepsy, inflammation, anxiety and 

neurodegenerative disorders. CBD 

has even been linked to the treatment 

and prevention of cancer. 

“Though much more research 

needs to be done, CBD has 

been shown to treat epilepsy, 

inflammation, anxiety and 

neurodegenerative disorders.” 

Cannabis does not have to be 

smoked to impart its medicinal 

benefits. In fact, many CBD-rich 

strains are grown for the CBD 

extracts that will be made from 

the plant material. CBD oil is 

commonly sold at cannabis 

dispensaries and, in cases where 

CBD is extracted from industrial 

hemp, can be purchased without 

a license. For people with a 

medical cannabis license, 

growing their own CBD-rich strain 

is a great way to ensure they have 

access to this powerful, natural 

medicine. Just as many cannabis 

strains have been developed for 

their high-THC percentage, there 

is a rising number of cannabis 

strains being developed for their 

high-CBD content. The following 

are five strains prized for their 

medicinal value due to their high 

percentage of CBD. 

Charlotte’s Web 

20% CBD 

Charlotte’s Web was created 

in 2011 by two brothers from 

Colorado who were working on 

developing high-CBD strains for 

cancer patients. The brothers 

received a phone call from a 

young girl’s parents. The parents 

explained that their daughter 

Charlotte was born with Dravet 

Syndrome and suffered from more 

than 300 seizures a week. After 

conventional pharmaceutical 

treatments failed, the parents 

decided to try cannabis. Even 

though they were concerned 

about her young age, the brothers 

decided to make an oil-based 

extract from their CBD-rich strain. 

The oil-based extract was a great 

success and stopped the threeyear-old’s 

unrelenting seizures. 

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The brothers quickly realized the 

unique benefit of their high-CBD 

strain and named it Charlotte’s Web 

in honour of the young girl. Today, 

Charlotte’s Web is considered the 

most potent CBD strain in the world 

with a whopping 20% CBD. This is 

especially impressive when you 

consider that any percentage above 

3% is considered high for CBD. 

In fact, most medical cannabis 

strains, which are high in THC, 

contain only a fraction of a percent 

of CBD. As far as CBD strains go, 

Charlotte’s Web is on the top shelf. 

Harlequin 

16-17% CBD 

Harlequin is a sativa-dominate 

hybrid (75% sativa, 25% indica) often 

grown to create high-CBD extracts. 

The sativas originated in Columbia 

(Columbia Gold) and Switzerland. 

The indicas originated in Nepal. 

Harlequin’s lineage is all high 

elevation. This strain is not available 

in the United States in seed form but 

can be commonly found as clones. 

Harlequin has become increasingly 

popular in dispensaries due to its 

reputable and stable CBD 

percentage. Common medicinal 

uses for Harlequin include 

management for pain, stress, 

nausea and muscle spasms. 

Avidekel 

15.8-16.3% CBD 

Avidekel was developed about four 

years ago by an Israeli governmentlicensed 

cannabis company known 

as Tikum Olam. The company 

began creating CBD-rich cannabis 

strains in 2009 through a selective 

breeding program and after three 

years Avidekel was the prized result. 

Avidekel has become the most 

popular medicinal strain in Israel 

and one of the most popular CBDrich 

strains in the world. Avidekel is 

unique because it has so little THC. 

In fact, the amount of THC in Avidekel 

is so low it could be considered 

industrial hemp. 

“As we uncover more about the 

amazing medicinal properties 

of the cannabis plant, we will 

see more mainstream use of 

cannabis for medical reasons.” 

Sour Tsunami 

10-11% CBD 

Sour Tsunami was developed 

by the Southern Humboldt Seed 

Collective. For more than four years 

variations of crosses between Sour 

Diesel and NYC Diesel were tested 

until finally Sour Tsunami was 

created. Another sativa-dominate 

hybrid, Sour Tsunami contains a 

more balanced ratio of CBD and 

THC. For some most medicinal 

use, a 1:1 or 2:1 CBD to THC ratio is 

preferred. Sour Tsunami has been 

praised for its ability to treat pain 

quickly and effectively. 

Cannatonic 

6-17% CBD 

Cannatonic was brought to us 

by the founder of Resin Seeds, a 

Spanish seed company founded in 

2008. While it is considered a CBDrich 

strain, its percentage of CBD 

can vary greatly from phenotype to 

phenotype. This hybrid grows like 

an indica but smells like a sativa. 

Cannatonic is prized by patients 

for its ability to treat anxiety, 

inhibit seizures, treat OCD and 

treat pain management. 

Our knowledge of medical 

cannabis is still in its infancy. 

As we uncover more about the 

amazing medicinal properties 

of the cannabis plant, we will 

see more mainstream use of 

cannabis for medical reasons. 

Both THC and CBD will surely 

play intricate roles in shaping 

the future of natural medicine. 

Lee G. Lyzit has been involved in the medical cannabis industry for nearly 15 

years. His passion for natural healing drives him to learn as much as he can 

about the miraculous cannabis plant. Lee breeds his own strains of cannabis to 

create concentrated glycerine and coconut oil extracts. 


heal 

MEETING MEDICAL 

CANNABIS NEEDS 

with More Stable Genetics 

by Márina Marquez Gomez 

The increasing number of research studies on 

the benefits of using cannabinoids to treat a wide 

variety of diseases has led to the establishment of 

partnerships that not so long ago seemed impossible. 

Medical marijuana companies need to gain the 

know-how seedbanks have in order to develop new 

products. To that end, Dinafem has been working on 

R&D projects in an effort to launch better quality and 

more stable genetics that truly meet the needs of the 

medical cannabis industry. 

In 1981, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam discovered the endocannabinoid 

system, consisting of CB1 receptors located in the brain 

and CB2 receptors found in the immune system. This discovery 

provided new insights into medical cannabis and convinced 

the scientific community that cannabinoids found in cannabis 

plants activate and stimulate those receptors, provoking a 

natural reaction to pain, anxiety and stress. 

There are two major cannabinoids that stimulate the aforementioned 

receptors: D9-THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) 

and CBD (cannabidiol). THC is certainly the most famous and 

psychoactive component. However, CBD has been gaining the 

interest of the scientific and pharmaceutical community, owing 

to its multiple healing virtues. 

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heal 

“Back in the day, most cannabis 

strains on the market contained 

a much higher amount of THC 

than CBD. ” 

CBD is one of more than 60 compounds 

found in the chemical phenotype of cannabis 

plants. Among its many functions, 

it has proved to be a natural protector 

against the psychoactive effects of THC. 

Evidence showing that CBD is far more 

effective than conventional therapy 

in treating child epilepsy has brought 

about the attention and interest of many 

pharmaceutical companies. In addition, a 

review published in the British Journal of 

Clinical Pharmacology shows CBD to be 

a potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic 

capable of combating cancer cells and 

reducing nausea. No wonder its possible 

uses in the field of oncology are being 

investigated by people all over the world. 

Back in the day, most cannabis strains 

on the market contained a much higher 

amount of THC than CBD. This was probably 

because most breeders preferred 

the psychoactive effect that THC-rich 

strains offered. Nevertheless, thanks 

to the recent discoveries regarding the 

medical benefits of CBD, this compound 

is becoming increasingly more appreciated. 

As seedbanks devote their time 

and effort to investigating and developing 

new cannabis genetics, pharmaceutical 

companies are seeing how beneficial 

CBD can be. 

While THC might cause some undesired 

side effects when being used for 

medical purposes, there seems to be 

no apparent reason for thinking CBD 

presents the same problem. As evidence 

supporting the many therapeutic benefits 

of cannabidiol grows, pharmaceutical 

companies are starting to invest in 

research to obtain in-depth knowledge 

regarding the different ways CBD can be 

used in the medical field. 

To that end, Supreme Pharmaceuticals in 

Canada has signed a partnership agreement 

with Dinafem, a world-renowned 

Spanish seedbank founded in 2002. 

Among many other things, it is known for 

being the first seed bank to market feminized 

autoflowering strains. As a result 

of this alliance, Supreme will gain from 

Dinafem’s know-how. The aim of this innovative 

partnership is to produce medical 

cannabis strains that could help patients 

authorized by the Marihuana for Medical 

Purposes Regulations (MMPR) in Canada. 

“We are excited Supreme will be 

utilizing our genetics in their hybrid 

greenhouse,” states Mr. Gorospe, CEO of 

Dinafem. “Supreme’s commitment to producing 

high-quality, sun-grown cannabis 

is aligned with our own commitment 

to producing the best genetics. Dinafem 

is focused on market leading innovation 

in cannabis genetics, striving to maximize 

the potential of each variety,” he 

continues. “We look forward to working 

with Supreme to introduce our genetics 

to the Canadian market.” 

Thanks to the time and money invested 

in a wide range of R&D projects, Dinafem 

has been able to make the most of 

its human and technological resources 

to develop cannabidiol-rich genetics 

that, according to the seedbank’s laboratory 

manager, are the result of a meticulous 

research process intended to satisfy 

the needs of medical and recreational 

cannabis users. “We have used selecting 

breeding techniques to create strains 

with high rates of CBD and lower THC 

content,” he says. “Through a meticulous 

selection process, only those genetics 

with the highest CBD content were chosen. 

By analyzing the plants’ chemical 

phenotype with a gas chromatograph, 

we could identify the number of cannabinoids 

found in each of them, after which 

our laboratory team managed to select 

those plants that presented a higher rate 

of CBD and were worthy of belonging to 

our elite line.” 

Once the pure line took shape, Dinafem 

crossed those CBD-rich elite plants with 

world-renowned strains and obtained 

a wide range of hybrids that now make 

up its new catalogue of high-CBD 

strains. Among the many genetics that 

harmoniously blend the traits such as 

flavour, aroma, strength and yield, of 

their predecessors in with the benefits of 

CBD, the ones worth a special mention 

are Amnesia CBD, Bubba Kush CBD and 

Cheese CBD. These are strains that, 

thanks to their 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 THC/CBD 

ratio, are not only are ideal for therapeutic 

use, but also offer a far more sustainable 

alternative to patients who want 

to consume regularly without worrying 

about having their daily lives disrupted. 

With this recent partnership, Supreme 

will now be able to investigate and 

develop strains with high medicinal 

value, while Dinafem will have access 

to a wide variety of R&D and cuttingedge 

techniques as well as information 

about the yield these strains possess 

when being cultivated in the remarkably 

big premises (350,000 sq. ft.) of Supreme. 

And, on top of that, the experience 

shared by thousands of medical users 

that avail themselves of those therapeutic 

strains will enable Dinafem to never 

stop looking for ways to improve. 

Marina Márquez Gomez was born in 

Barcelona and graduated with a degree in 

journalism from UVIC in 2005. Since then 

she has worked as a content writer for 

several Spanish media outlets focused on 

the medical field. 

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heal 

CANNABIS & PETS: 

Medicating 

Man’s Best Friend 

by Sharon Letts 

“The worst sin towards our fellow 

creatures is not to hate them, but 

to be indifferent to them.That’s 

the essence of inhumanity.” 

— George Bernard Shaw 

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Our pets are family. They love us, we 

love and care for them. Yet, they are 

fragile on this Earth and we are their 

only protectors. Luckily, within the cannabis 

community, help is on the way 

with as many supplements, therapies 

and treatments for our furry friends as 

there are for us. There is still, however, 

much to learn on this subject. 

The Veterinary Oncology & Hematology 

Center states cancer accounts for nearly 

50% of all disease-related deaths in our 

pets each year. With our pets closer to 

the ground, they are much more exposed 

to toxins and carcinogens found in the 

environment. Pet food also has much 

lower regulatory standards than our 

food, which can also cause health issues 

in our pets. 

Statistics show 25% of dogs die of cancer, 

while more than 50% of dogs over 

the age of 10 succumb to the disease. 

The good news is cannabis combats 

canine and feline cancers and tumors 

in the same way it does in humans. The 

challenge (just as in humans) is dosing 

them correctly with our high THC laden 

strains. And while there is a plethora of 

CBD supplements out there for cats and 

dogs, many are from hemp and often 

aren’t strong enough to put serious ailments 

into remission, though they may 

be beneficial as a daily supplement. 

“Cannabis combats canine 

and feline cancers and 

tumors in the same way 

it does in humans.” 

Meds for Pets 

Cannabis oil has been used on humans 

for a cancer treatment around the world 

for more than 15 years, with many 

recipes and combinations of THC and 

CBD compounds developed for varying 

ailments. If you are a biological being 

with an endocrine system, you are also 

equipped with a sophisticated endocannabinoid 

system for receiving the cannabinoids, 

or CBDs, from the plant, as 

well as the THC, CBNs and many more 

benefits we’ve yet to fully understand. 

According to animalendocrine.com 

dogs and cats have an endocrine system 

identical to humans with the same function, 

delivering hormones to the blood 

stream regulating the body’s glands and 

organs. Hormones act as chemical messengers 

with many critical functions. The 

endocrine glands include the pituitary, 

thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, adrenal, 

ovaries and testes. 

Having the same hormonal delivery 

system enables our pets to reap 

the same benefits from 

the cannabis plant for 

myriad illnesses 

and disorders. Any 

upset they may have 

related to infection or 

inflammation can be 

helped with ingesting 

cannabis. Daily supplements 

of CBD, even when 

animals don’t appear to 

be sick, can actually keep 

ailments at bay, including 

digestive issues, chronic 

pain, fatigue and stress. 

They can also help 

prevent major ailments 

such as cancer, 

diabetes and many 

more disorders. 

It is also interesting 

to note that 

chamomile, the 

mild herbal 

tea known 

more readily 

for making 

one sleepy 

at night, surprisingly mimics cannabis 

in its healing benefits. Inflammation, infection, 

anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, Rheumatoid 

pain, gastrointestinal disorders 

and fever are just a few of the symptoms 

quelled in the same manner as cannabis 

without the psychoactive effects. 

A Case Study 

Charlie was a 10-year-old, 62-pound dog 

from Northern California who presented 

with bone cancer in one of his legs. His 

owner, a savvy California cannabis 

patient, had serious reservations about 

treating the family dog with cannabis. 

He was specifically nervous about its 

psychoactive properties. The owner did 

not want to get Charlie stoned or make 

him feel uncomfortable in any way. 

Too much RSO and a pet could be put 

into a coma or have other adverse reactions. 

Pet owners are often timid about 

getting their pets high in the traditional 

sense, but we do know that THC is 

necessary for inducing rest and healing. 

How much THC pets should get is 

still being debated. A medicine maker 

helped create capsules for Charlie 

with part oil, part coconut solid to help 

digestion and ease delivery. Charlie’s 

first dose was 1/100 th of a gram with 

coconut oil caps taken in the morning 

and again at night until he appeared to 

be used to the effects. Slowly, amounts 

were increased. 

Instead of exposing Charlie to traditional 

cancer treatments such as radiation 

or chemotherapy, Charlie’s family, 

despite admitting not much is known 

about how medicinal cannabis heals 

pets, opted for the alternative treatment 

in hopes he would be more comfortable. 

Throughout the treatment Charlie 

slept, played and had an appetite. His 

cancer was put into remission, but it was 

advised the leg where the cancer started 

be removed, and the family made the 

decision to put Charlie down. Though a 

difficult situation, the family stated it felt 

that through the treatment process Charlie 

lived comfortably and with dignity. 

For more information on treating pets 

with cannabis, visit peta.org. 

Sharon Letts began her life’s work as a 

gardener in southern California, and now 

calls Humboldt County home. She’s a 

writer and photographer. When she isn’t 

writing about gardening, she is outside 

working in her own garden. 

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There are more than 80 unique compounds 

in the more than 400 naturally 

occurring compounds in marijuana. 

These compounds are unique to the 

plant and not found anywhere else in 

nature except the human body as endocannabinoids. 

The CB1 and CB2 receptor 

sites on various tissues in the human 

body allow the plant compounds to enter 

the metabolic pathways for medical 

therapy in a uniquely safe and effective 

way to treat medical conditions. 

The cannabis plant has undergone a 

rapid transformation in genetic mixing 

over the last 50 years. The intent of this 

mixing somewhat mirrors the way that, 

in the past, the properties of land-race 

varieties were selectively encouraged to 

grow based on the desired effects stemming 

from the regions of cultivation— 

either euphoria and mental stimulation 

(African sativa strains) or sedation and 

meditation (Hindu Kush indica strains) 

in ancient cultures. Today’s cannabis 

strains exhibit a plethora of mixtures of 

chemicals in a wide range of ratios as 

varietal mixes of the two. However, there 

is one mediator in all of this: the terpene 

fragrance compounds that modify the 

effect of the cannabinoid compounds for 

different medical applications. 

With the above in mind, I am creating 

a Physician’s Desk Reference for 

Prescribing Cannabinoids as the first 

book on the subject geared to the medical 

community. The reference will help 

medical practitioners better understand 

the application and effects of using cannabinoids 

for medical therapy. I believe 

that fragrance may be used as a general 

tool for administering prescription cannabis. 

For instance, different ratios of 

the terpenes D-Limonene, Alpha-Pinene 

and Beta-Myrcene can moderate THC, 

CBD, CBC and CBN effectively to provide 

relief from insomnia, pain, lack of appetite, 

depression or nausea in strains with 

nearly the same levels of CBD and THC. 

Pain is slightly mediated by strains like 

OG Kush and Tahoe OG, or not at all in 

the strain Blue Dream, even though it 

has a similar CBD content. The specific 

application for additional, secondarysymptom 

relief with the lemon or pine 

fragrance that guides the user for their 

individual range of conditions is a hereto-fore 

unsuspected connection to olfactory 

identification and application. This 

terpene moderation is what is called the 

entourage effect. 

You can see that the strains listed in 

Fig. 1 contain nearly the same CBD and 

THC content, but the terpene ratios affecting 

their fragrance are very different per 

strain. Some pain reduction is a common 

trait in the OG strains, but the stronger 

Cannabinoids (%) Terpenes (%) 

SAMPLE STRAIN CBC THC THCV CBG CBN CBC CBL Linalool B-Mycrene A-Pinene D-Limonene B-Caryophyllene 

OG Kush 0.30% 26% 0.80% 1.40% 0.30% 0.30% 0.40% 0.30% 0.70% 0.50% 0.60% 0.50% 

Tahoe OG 0.30% 25% 0.30% 1.20% 0.05% 0.20% 0.70% 0.20% 0.30% 0.30% 0.50% 0.60% 

Blue Dream 0.20% 24% 0.20% 0.20% 0.10% 0.20% 0.00% 0.10% 1.10% 0.70% 0.20% 0.20% 

Fig. 1 

Blue Dream is a euphoric strain 

with calming effects. It is not at 

all a mediator of pain and shows 

a higher content of A-Pinene and 

B-Myrcene and low D-Limonene and 

B-Caryophyllene compared to OG. 

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What Does it Mean? 

Entourage Effect: The interaction of 

various compounds in cannabis. 

Terpenes: The oils in plant glands 

that give cannabis strains their 

distinctive flavours. 

Trichomes: Crystal-like hairs that 

cover the buds of cannabis plants. 

D-Limonene A-Pinene Dominance Pine and Sour Lemon Scent 

SAMPLE THC-Total CBD-Total Activated-Total 

OG Tahoe #1 0.2891 0.0029 0.0053 

OG Tahoe #2 0.2172 0.0022 0.0118 

OG Tahoe #3 0.2048 0.002 0.0044 

OG Tahoe #4 0.1926 0.009 0.0074 

OG Tahoe #5 0.1844 0.0021 0.0079 

OG Tahoe #6 0.1204 0.0009 0.0045 

OG Kush 0.2404 0.0024 0.0142 

OG Kush 0.2091 0.002 0.0124 

OG Kush 0.2033 0.009 0.0093 

Strains receiving adequate ionic 

micronutrient mineral applications 

during flowering and trichome 

formation have the highest potency. 

OG Kush 0.1798 0.0013 0.0112 

OG Kush 0.1788 0.0011 0.0062 

OG Kush 0.1672 0.0008 0.007 

OG Kush 0.1566 0.009 0.0037 

OG Kush 0.1441 0.0013 0.0083 

Fig. 2 

differences of nausea, depression and 

effects on appetite in the OG strains are 

especially promoted by the differences 

in the ratios of the terpenes affecting 

the action of the cannabinoids. And 

yet the ratios of the fragrance of pine 

and lemon in the OG strains are quite 

different in the Blue Dream, which has 

a blueberry fragrance. Blue Dream is 

a euphoric strain with calming effects. 

It is not at all a mediator of pain and 

shows a higher content of A-Pinene and 

B-Myrcene and low D-Limonene and B- 

Caryophyllene compared to OG. 

A recent chemical analysis of more 

than 1,000 strain samples covering a 

wide range of varieties has provided 

some insight toward specific types of 

strains to understand how this works. 

Yet analyzing specific strains in the OG 

family (Fig. 2) can certainly reveal the 

differences in the cannabinoids. It also 

can reveal the wide range of potency in 

the same strains. Some show half the 

chemical potency compared to other 

samples in the same strain. 

These stark differences are the result 

of nutrient differences during growth. 

Strains receiving adequate ionic micronutrient 

mineral applications during 

flowering and trichome formation have 

the highest potency. Minerals are the 

genetic triggers for plant function and 

Beta-Mycrene and Alpha-Pinene Dominance Diesel Scent 

SAMPLE THC-Total CBD-Total Activated-Total 

Sour Tsunami 0.01 0.1248 0.0073 

Sour Tsunami W9 0.0079 0.1186 0.0125 

Sour Tsunami 0.0104 0.1136 0.0078 

Sour Tsunami 0.0058 0.1056 0.006 

Sour Tsunami 0.0058 0.0802 0.0158 

Sour Tsunami (Natural Daze) 0.006 0.0825 0.0055 

Sour Diesel 0.0922 0.1191 0.0185 

Sour Diesel 0.0973 0.1167 0.018 

Fig. 3 

cannabinoid synthesis under the influence 

of UVB light in the resin-gland disc 

cells. These mineral-dependent reactions 

in the plastids and vacuole between glucose, 

phenols and terpenes result in the 

deposit of greater or lesser cannabinoids 

in the secretory reservoir at the top of the 

trichomes. Ionic mineral foliar sprays can 

also stimulate more trichomes to erupt 

from the leaf surface. High CBD content 

with relatively low-THC content provides 

the best pain and inflammation relief. 

In the 1,000 test samples analyzed, commonly 

used pain-relief strains rated high 

in this ratio and that showed high levels 

of B-Mycrene were the sour strains (Fig. 

3). Therefore, for pain relief, I recommend 

these strains delivered on the macrophage 

cell CB2 receptors via the blood to 

alleviate pain and inflammation in damaged 

or diseased areas of the body. 

Augustus Dunning is the CEO of Eco Organics 

and is a physicist, chemist and an inventor. 

He is the former systems ops designer for 

the International Space Station and a former 

regional manager of liquid, solid and electric 

propulsion systems for Pratt and Whitney space 

propulsion, Edwards AFB, NAWC and JPL. 

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by Jean LeRoy 

Remedy and Relief: 

Cannabis for the Skin 

A soothing balm, a stimulating cream, a relaxing touch 

after a long weary day—if you haven’t tried cannabis on 

your skin, you’re missing out on the astonishing range of 

therapeutic benefits found in cannabis topicals. 

Sidelined for years, changing cultural 

attitudes are now paving the way for 

scientists to at last confirm what your 

great-grandmother knew—cannabis 

creams are great for pain relief and 

skin irritations. The antibacterial, 

anti-inflammatory and pain-inhibiting 

effects of cannabis-infused topicals 

“Research is still emerging, 

but historically and 

anecdotally cannabinoid 

creams are used 

to effectively treat 

everything from arthritis 

to migraine pain.” 

are effective in treating a wide 

variety of ailments. Research is 

still emerging, but historically and 

anecdotally cannabinoid creams are 

used to effectively treat everything 

from arthritis to migraine pain. 

According to a study done by the 

University Hospital Münster in Germany, 

some of the same cannabinoid 

receptors in your brain that react when 

you take cannabis internally are also 

in your skin. When you massage the 

cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol 

and cannabidiol (THC and CBD) onto 

your skin, they permeate and stimulate 

these receptors without ever traveling 

far enough to reach your central 

nervous system. This means that while 

your skin gets high, you don’t. 

At least one other study, found in The 

FASEB Journal in October 2008, also 

indicates that the natural cannabinoids 

in your body regulate dry skin and acne 

(Dobrosi, Toth & Nagy). The potential 

for using cannabinoids like THC on 

your skin to stimulate these receptors to 

plump, heal and nourish skin is exciting. 

A diverse group of companies are now 

incorporating THC-rich cannabis strains 

into skincare and therapeutic health 

products. By tinkering with the chemical 

profile of the cannabis used, producers 

can customize their products to address 

individual needs. 

Hemp, often incorporated into cannabis 

topicals, is a variety of cannabis bred to 

be low in THC (known for its psychoactive 

effects) and high in CBD. CBD delivers 

many of the wonderful health benefits of 

cannabis including its anti-inflammatory 

properties. Hemp oil is full of essential 

fatty acids that easily permeate and 

nourish the skin. A perfect complement 

to any cannabis infused topical, hemp oil 

is already used in a wide range of health 

and beauty products. 

With the laws around the accessibility 

of marijuana products in a constant state 

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of flux around the world, understanding 

the simple process of making your 

own topicals at home can be a useful 

skill. To make your own topical, start 

with nourishing fats like beeswax, 

coconut oil or shea butter. Next, melt 

and mix your chosen base with either 

cannabis resin or cannabis-infused 

oil. As mentioned before, the addition 

of hemp seed oil is great for giving 

your skin that extra glow. If desired, 

use complementing essential oils to 

personalize your topicals. Cinnamon 

and ginger add warmth and stimulate 

blood flow, while chamomile and lavender 

have soothing effects. These essential 

oils smell divine and are just a 

few of the many extracts you can use 

to heighten your experience. Barring 

an allergic reaction, the end product 

is safe and effective for topical use. 

“ 

A diverse group of 

companies are now 

incorporating THC-rich 

cannabis strains into 

skincare and therapeutic 

health products.” 

The only thing that remains to be determined 

is just how far the therapeutic 

benefits of topical cannabis will extend. 

Anecdotally, the claims are remarkable 

and the applications continue to grow. 

Will a good topical cure all forms of cancer? 

Probably not. Can cannabis creams 

ease sore muscles and impart pain relief 

to an old injury after a long day? For 

sure they can. Like all cannabis-infused 

products, education, exploration and 

a culture of change remain the keys to 

revealing the far-reaching medicinal and 

therapeutic benefits of infused topicals. 

Jean LeRoy is an 

outdoor enthusiast with 

experience as a mountain 

boarding instructor 

and backcountry 

survivalist. Jean also 

enjoys rock climbing 

and yoga. She 

writes to encourage 

people to develop 

connections to the 

natural environment 

and to increase 

awareness of alternative 

health practices. 

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Does Cannabis Use 

Reduce Opiate Use? 

Rather than being a 

gateway, cannabis is 

more likely to reduce 

the use of other drugs 

for pain treatment. 

Here’s why. 

by Alex Rea 

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Working in the medical cannabis field 

has given me an in-depth perspective 

on the variety of conditions that can be 

treated effectively with cannabis. By 

far the most common use for cannabis 

is pain management. I have witnessed 

many of my patients and friends suffer 

from both their daily pain and the side 

effects of their prescribed medications. 

Once they found cannabis, they reduced 

their use of pain medications and 

became more active and healthy people. 

New research is showing just how safe 

and effective cannabis use really is. 

Chronic pain is an enormous problem 

for our society. Reports have shown that 

one in five adults suffer from chronic 

pain, resulting in a poor quality of 

life and decreased productivity in the 

workplace. These types of numbers have 

shed light on the use of cannabis in the 

treatment of chronic pain. A study from 

McGill University in 2015 shows that cannabis 

is not only a safe alternative, it is 

also a useful tool for patients and practitioners 

to use when combating chronic 

pain. Using cannabis has been shown to 

be safe, effective and ultimately a better 

tool than conventional treatments. This 

study has shown decreased pain sensation 

as well as increases in quality of life 

by patients who use cannabis as part of 

their pain management. 

When treating patients who are in pain, 

whether it’s post-operative, muscle-skeletal 

or nerve pain, doctors most often use 

opiates like oxycodone or NSAIDs such 

as acetaminophen or naproxen. These 

types of medications can be very effective 

in reducing perceived pain, but they 

come with their own side effects and 

drawbacks. When used for long periods 

of time, these powerful pharmaceuticals 

can have negative impacts on liver, 

kidney and stomach health as well as 

brain function. 

Opiates especially come with the risk 

of physical dependence and addiction, 

which has led, in many cases, to death. 

In the United States in 2014, the Center 

for Disease Control reported that more 

than 19,000 fatal drug overdoses were 

linked to opiate pain medication, which 

was 40% of all overdoses that year. 

Despite the known drawbacks of these 

effective but risky treatments, the mainstream 

healthcare industry has been 

reluctant to embrace alternatives such 

as cannabis as a tool in pain management, 

citing a lack of evidence in safety 

or efficacy. 

Studies published by 

the Center for Medicinal 

Cannabis Research have 

shown that cannabis works 

in conjunction with opiate 

pain medications, effectively 

reducing the required dose.” 

Opponents of cannabis as medicine 

have long said that due to a lack of clinical 

trials, cannabis could not be used in 

clinical settings to treat pain. However, 

those opponents will have to find another 

argument as a study completed in 

2015 has shown that not only is cannabis 

a safe medicine, it has been shown to 

be beneficial in several more ways than 

once thought. In conjunction with McGill 

University in Montreal, Canadian Dr. 

Mark Ware has published his year-long 

study findings that outline the safety 

and efficacy of cannabis in treating 

pain. The people who used cannabis 

in his clinical study showed decreased 

levels of perceived pain compared to 

the people who did not use cannabis. 

Cannabis also didn’t show any increased 

risk of serious adverse effects 

or negative impacts to memory or lung 

function. Other findings of this study 

include improvements in mood among 

the cannabis-using population. Things 

like anxiety, depression, anger, hostility 

and fatigue were elevated compared to 

the non-cannabis-using controls. 

While there was an increase in 

adverse effects such as headaches, 

nausea and respiratory issues, there 

was no increase in serious adverse effects. 

This is clear proof that cannabis 

is without the harms associated with 

other pain treatments. Better evidence 

yet is a study that tracked overdose 

deaths in the United State. It found that 

the states with medical marijuana laws 

had reduced rates of opiate overdoses. 

This study, funded by the RAND Corp., 

found specifically that the presence of 

cannabis dispensaries made the largest 

impact, as access is a fundamental 

component to the use of cannabis. The 

states that did not have reliable access 

to cannabis, but had medical marijuana 

laws on the books, did not see the same 

reduction in opiate overdoses. 

Furthermore, studies published by 

the Center for Medicinal Cannabis 

Research have shown that cannabis 

works in conjunction with opiate pain 

medications, effectively reducing the 

required dose. This means that rather 

than being a gateway, cannabis is more 

likely to reduce the use of other drugs 

for pain treatment. 

As laws are relaxed and barriers to 

access are eliminated, we have a clear 

path forward in how to treat chronic 

pain. Although it is not appropriate in 

all circumstances, cannabis is a proven, 

safe and effective alternative to harmful 

pain treatments. The continued barriers 

to access only perpetuate a failed system 

of opiate abuse. 

Alex Rea is the vice-president of 

Homegrown Hydroponics in Toronto, 

Ontario, and the co-founder of 

Phytomedical, a cannabis consulting 

clinic. As a patient, advocate and business 

person in the cannabis industry, Alex has 

a keen understanding of the political, 

economic and social hurdles that underpin 

cannabis as medicine in North America. 

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Drink Your Medicine 

by Colleen Graham 

As the conversation around medicinal 

marijuana grows, people are 

sharing new ways to enjoy cannabis. 

Cannabis-infused drinks are coming to 

the forefront of this conversation. 

Juicing is one of the most popular ways 

to drink cannabis, while many dispensaries 

are offering drink alternatives 

like coffee alongside their edibles. Wine 

and beer are only an option if you feel 

like taking a DIY approach. The reality 

is that combining alcohol and cannabis 

is a tricky subject. The federal government 

still sees marijuana as an illegal 

drug, so you will not find commercially 

produced canna beer or wine on the 

market. So far they remain a project for 

homebrewers and winemakers. 

It is also difficult for anyone to say that 

any caffeinated or alcoholic beverage is 

healthy. Combining your medicine with 

either type of beverage is going to be a 

personal choice. Medical studies have 

long debated the benefits of both coffee 

and alcohol, so when we throw cannabis 

into the mix, the debate becomes 

even more heated. 

With those two disclaimers out of the 

way, if you would like to try your hand 

at drinking your medicine, here are 

some ideas. 

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Cannabis Coffee 

For the average person, combining 

medicinal cannabis with a cup of freshbrewed 

coffee is the easiest route to 

drinking cannabis. If you are on an anticaffeine 

kick, any of these suggestions 

work just as well with decaf. 

The easiest way to create cannabis-infused 

coffee is to simply add cannabis to 

the coffee grounds. For drip brewing, the 

best ratio for strong coffee is one tablespoon 

of grounds for every five ounces 

of water. To do this, begin with about 

1 ¼ teaspoons of ground cannabis and 

adjust as needed. If you prefer another 

brewing method, adjust this ratio. 

It is important to remember that heat 

activates THC compounds in marijuana. 

Unless you cold-brew the coffee, the 

brewing process will trigger cannabis’s 

full medicinal properties. The THC will 

also give you the high, which some 

patients try to avoid, and it can either 

counteract or complement the caffeine. 

Consider the properties of a cannabis 

strain when adding it to coffee so you get 

the desired effects. Adjust the quantity of 

cannabis as well because the strength of 

strains varies. Start small so you are not 

surprised, especially if you enjoy having 

a cup before starting your day. 

Other DIY options for canna coffee 

include adding a cannabis-infused 

sweetener to a cup of regular coffee. 

Honey, simple syrup and butter are 

popular options that you can DIY or buy, 

and cannabis-infused coconut oil is 

great for iced coffee. 

Homemade Canna Creamer 

• 1 cup cream 

• 1 gram cannabis 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

In a saucepan, bring the cream to a slow, 

very light boil, stirring constantly. As soon as 

it is warm throughout, remove the pan from 

the heat and stir in the cannabis and vanilla. 

Cover and allow to cool for two hours. Strain 

out the cannabis and bottle. 

The medicinal compounds are 

extracted during the fermentation 

stage of the wine. A pound or more of 

fresh marijuana is added to a barrel 

and the finished product takes about 

nine months. A home winemaking kit 

makes this possible for anyone who 

has the time. 

It is easy to create a cannabis-infused 

wine at home. Red wines pair best with 

cannabis and the result is similar to 

sweet vermouth. It should be enjoyed 

soon after making it. 

Weed-infused beer is a little trickier to 

pull off, but creative home brewers have 

not let that stop them. Some brewers add 

marijuana along with the hops, while 

others prefer adding a tincture during 

the bottling process. Not every weed 

beer is a success, however. The brewers 

who are the most successful use a carefully 

selected combination of hops and 

cannabis strains. In other words, adding 

random hash oil to your favourite beer is 

not going to be the same as one of these 

perfectly formulated recipes. 

Homemade Canna-Infused Wine 

• 1 bottle red wine 

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 

• ¼ teaspoon cardamom 

• 4 cloves poked into an orange wedge 

• 1 cinnamon stick 

• 1 ounce cannabis leaves 

Combine the ingredients in a large pot or slow 

cooker, cover and simmer for about two hours. 

Allow to cool, strain and bottle. 

Dosing 

Dosage is an issue with canna wine 

and beer. The potency will vary greatly 

and many imbibers liken the effects to 

edibles. Just a little bit will do, so take 

it easy at first. The Know Label wine 

tincture sold in California suggests a 

recommended dosage of two ounces. 

It’s said to be just enough to relax and 

give a person a good night’s sleep. 

Homebrew fans say the high can last 

many hours (some report up to 12), which 

can be disorienting for some people. It’s 

best to stick with one drink at a time. 

Colleen Graham is a writer and freelance 

photographer who specializes in mixed 

drinks and covering the liquor industry. 

She is the cocktails expert for about.com 

and author of the book ¡Hola Tequila! 

Gardening and kayaking with her husband 

are two of her favorite pastimes. 

Cannabis Beer and Wine 

Creating cannabis-infused beer or 

wine is not as simple as tossing a bud 

in the bottle. The brew may taste like 

marijuana, but a chemical reaction 

is required to extract the medicinal 

compounds from the plant. 

Winemakers have been adding cannabis 

to medicinal wines for centuries. 

Many backyard winemakers 

have never stopped making it. 

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by Watermelon 

Baking 

A FOOL OF MYSELF 

A Cannabis Culinary Column 

THE NO FROWNIE BROWNIE 

In her latest column for Hydrolife, Watermelon reveals a few 

more details of her origin story, and then teaches us how to 

make a No Frownie Brownie. 

I first heard about Vancouver’s clothing-optional Wreck Beach in my 

teens. Apparently you had to hike down many steps through a luscious 

rainforest to get there. The long rugged trek in, and consequently, longer, 

laborious trek out, kept many undesirables away. This partial isolation 

from the world also helped establish a variable group of athletic vendors 

ready to offer ice-cold beer and snacks to anyone enjoying the sunset far 

away from any stores. 

Imagine a glorious nude beach where people frolicked in the sunshine, 

openly smoked pot, disliked uptight folks and all their rules, and still 

embraced the practice of free enterprise. It was the last frontier of 

freedom. I loved that beach before I ever went there. I loved it more after. 

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Going to Wreck Beach on most sunny days became habitforming 

after my first visit. I quickly made a new beach 

bestie named Paddy White. He was an 80-year-old, Irish 

bootlegger who hawked “Cigareets…nice cigareets for sale.” 

It was love at first sight. I worked selling T-shirts for him for 

a while. Soon I figured I might best be served by attempting 

my own free enterprise. Selling T-shirts on a nude beach was 

more humorous than lucrative. 

One beautiful summer morning I awoke terribly dehydrated 

under a tree by the ocean. I had danced the night away on 

magic mushrooms by fire under a full moon. When I awoke I 

was desperately thirsty. No vendors had arrived yet. I really 

needed water. The first vendor down sold me a fruit juice, 

but it was basically sugar water—the opposite of thirstquenching. 

I would have paid any price for a real piece of 

fruit at that moment. 

The next day I showed up with apples, oranges, mangos and 

one big-ass watermelon. On the first day working for myself 

I made $80. A few shifts up and down those stairs later, I 

streamlined my inventory and sold only watermelon slices. 

The year after that I added pot cookies to the roster. That first 

day of work I made $250. 

Fast forward 22 glorious years and I have officially lain to 

rest my job selling watermelon and pot cookies on Wreck 

Beach. I am now writing this column because it suits my 

retirement schedule. I am also taking a course on chocolatemaking. 

Watermelon is very thirst-quenching, by the way, and 

cannabis can be your best friend when done in moderation. 

“I figured I might best be served by 

attempting my own free enterprise. 

Selling T-shirts on a nude beach was 

more humorous than lucrative.” 

SHAKE FLOWER RECAP 

In my first column for Hydrolife, I talked about making shake 

flour. This is the basis for almost every recipe I make. Learning 

how to use shake flour on a recipe-by-recipe basis helps 

reduce the guesswork involved with edibles. Just to recap, if 

your recipe suggests it makes 10 servings, you will weigh up 

only enough shake flour for 10 servings. My guideline is 0.5-0.75 

grams per serving, so adding anywhere between 5 and 

7.5 grams of shake flour to a recipe serving 10 people is perfect. 

Adding more does not usually equate to more fun. 

MAKING TIME-HONOURED EDIBLES 

You’re probably already familiar with pot butter. This is 

because butter is great for conversion. It likes high heat, it 

converts fast and easy, and it suits many recipes. With this in 

mind, I want to share a time-honoured edible recipe for pot 

brownies—or, as I like to call them, No Frownie Brownies. 

Chocolate in any form is always amazing, if you go for that 

sort of thing. Add the enlightening experience of cannabis 

and you have yourself the time-honoured recipe for bliss 

and satisfaction. Nuts are a delicious accompaniment with 

chocolate brownies but these days someone is bound to be 

allergic, so I replace them with finely ground espresso beans. 

Coffee and chocolate pair great together. Also, the coffee is a 

nice stimulant against the sedating effects of cannabis. Win. 

Win. I love it when my brownie gets a hard sheen topping 

that tastes almost like icing. I especially dig a brownie that 

is both solid and gooey in the middle. To me this is what 

makes a brownie a brownie. 

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WHY INGEST CANNABIS? 

I love how ingesting cannabis makes me feel. It makes me 

feel warm and cozy inside. I get a sense of wonder and bliss. 

I laugh easily and heartily. I am less argumentative (a family 

trait I can’t seem to shake). Edibles work great for me. 

Those who ingest cannabis for serious pain management can 

develop a tolerance pretty quickly. Cancer patients who need 

to saturate their system with a wide spectrum of cannabinoids 

in a short amount of time will also develop a tolerance. Some 

people naturally have a high tolerance for cannabis ingestion. 

All these people are the exception, not the rule. Be warned! 

No Frownie 

Brownie 

Turn every frown 

upside down. 

Serves 15 

Ingredients: 

10 g shake flour 

7 oz dark chocolate (chopped, cubed or chips) 

8 oz butter 

1 3/4 C brown sugar 

4 eggs 

1/3 C cocoa 

1 C flour (sifted) 

1/4 tsp baking powder 

1/8 tsp salt 

1/4 C dark roast coffee/espresso (finely ground) 

Steps: 

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F. 

• Lightly flour the base of 9-inch pan and line with 

parchment. (Aluminum pans cook faster. Stay vigilant.) 

• In a saucepan on low heat, slowly melt butter 

with the shake flour for five minutes without 

allowing it to burn or boil over. 

• Turn off heat and add the chocolate in the saucepan, 

stirring constantly until melted. 

• In a bowl, sift cocoa, flour, baking powder and coffee. 

• In a separate bowl whisk eggs and add sugar. 

• Add slightly cooled chocolate “budder” to whisked 

sugar and eggs and mix. 

• Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. 

• Pour batter into lined pan and place in preheated 

oven for approximately 30 minutes. 

• Let cool completely. 

• Dollop with fresh whip cream and coffee bean. 

To watch Watermelon in action, check her out on YouTube. Baked: 

Cooking with Mary Jean is a special cooking show that features 

one special ingredient: cannabis! Follow Watermelon, a.k.a. Mary 

Jean Dunsdon, on Twitter @weeddiva to never miss an episode, 

or sign up for updates at potent.media. 

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The Hemp 

Revival 

by Lee G. Lyzit 

Although hemp has been used 

around the globe since the 

beginning of human existence, the 

stigma associated with marijuana 

(hemp’s cousin) has somewhat 

stalled its industrial uses. 

Fortunately, that stigma is starting 

to change, and we are seeing more 

hemp-based products as a result. 

The biggest potential for hemp 

plants in promoting a culture 

of eco-sustainability is their use in 

building products. Hemp can be used to 

replace or supplement a wide variety of 

traditional building materials, mainly 

wood and concrete. Researchers in 

France have developed a way to use 

hemp fibers to create a natural cement 

with many admirable qualities. Their 

creation, Hempcrete, can be used 

in block-form in conjunction with a 

wooden frame construction, or mixed 

directly into a structure, similar to 

working with stucco or cob. 

Hempcrete is comparable in 

strength to traditional concrete but 

weighs one-eighth as much, which 

makes building with it much easier. 

Additional advantages of Hempcrete 

building materials are: 

• Thermal properties: Hempcrete 

helps regulate both high and low 

temperatures. 

• Low maintenance: Hempcrete is naturally 

mold and rodent resistant. 

• Longevity: Hempcrete has a long lifespan 

and is easy to repair. 

• How sustainable it truly is: 

Hempcrete is made out of plants, 

which grow back. 

Building with renewable, biodegradable 

materials equates to a healthier 

planet. While the hemp plant grows, it 

turns carbon dioxide into oxygen and 

also traps carbon dioxide within itself. 

Structures built with hemp products are 

carbon sinks, meaning they absorb more 

carbon than they release. Traditional 

concrete, on the other hand, is notorious 

for releasing large amounts of carbon 

dioxide when it is made. 

Hemp particle board can be made 

from both the short fibers from the 

core of the hemp stalk and the longer 

fibers found on the outer portion of the 

stalk. In terms of insulation, only the 

outer fibers of the hemp stalk are used. 

Hemp building insulation is being used 

consistently in newer construction and 

has great potential as an eco-friendly 

solution for retrofitting buildings. 

Other Uses for Hemp 

Hemp is also being used to make 

clothing, ropes, paper, wax and much 

more. Hemp seeds contain all the 

essential amino acids humans need 

and are arguably the single most 

healthy food source on the planet. 

They can be pressed to extract hemp 

oil, which can be used as fuel or as 

a natural sealant for wood. Hemp is 

also an active ingredient in beauty 

products and cosmetics. 

Another incredible use of hemp is 

in the automotive industry. Do you 

remember Henry Ford’s hemp body 

car? Due to the steel rationing of 

WWII in 1941, Henry Ford and George 

Washington Carver constructed a car 

body made out of soybeans and hemp. 

Although Ford’s hemp car never took 

off, today’s automakers are paying 

closer attention to hemp, as it can be 

used to make plastics and other composites 

that are stronger and lighter 

than their traditional counterparts. 

In fact, a Canadian company, Motive 

Industries, designed the world’s most 

eco-friendly car, the Kestrel, whose 

entire body is made of hemp. 

Humans are at a point where 

practicing a sustainable lifestyle 

is of the utmost importance. Just as 

the hemp plant was an intricate part 

of early man’s existence, I believe it 

will become an intricate part in ours, 

as more people start to embrace how 

versatile it really is. 

HEMP CAN BE used to replace 

or supplement a wide variety of 

traditional building materials, “mainly wood and concrete.” 

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y Gibson Lannister 

COUER DE PIRATE 

ROSES 

Couer de Pirate is French 

for Pirate’s Heart. She is 

Beatrice Martin and Roses 

is the album. This synthpop 

songstress delivers her 

soft, heart-drenched songs 

in both English and French. 

Turn off your phone, turn off 

the lights, sit back and melt 

into the beauty that is Couer 

de Pirate. 

4.5 

POP ETC 

SOUVENIR 

Have you ever longed for the 

sound of the 80s to return? 

Fill that acid-washed-jeanssized 

hole in your heart with 

the album Souvenir from the 

Brooklyn-based POP ETC 

(formally The Morning Benders). 

Souvenir is a look back 

not only into the 80s, but into 

one's youth. The world can 

seem so big sometimes. Bring 

it back home with Souvenir. 

4.5 

ONDEADWAVES 

ONDEADWAVES 

onDeadWaves is an amazing 

collaboration between 

two stellar, established solo 

artists, Polly Scattergood and 

James Chapman. Their selftitled 

debut album is soft and 

haunting with a quiet ferocity. 

This record is as chilledout 

as they get. So take a hit 

of your most relaxing bud 

and enjoy! 

4 

Gibson Lannister has 

been a musician for 

more than 15 years and 

continues to expand his 

knowledge of theory 

and technique. 

METRIC 

PAGANS IN VEGAS 

Pagans In Vegas is the sixth 

studio album from legendary 

Canadian synth-rockers 

Metric. It’s hard to believe 

they can still be making great 

music after so long. I’ve been 

a long-time fan and this might 

be my favorite record of theirs. 

They stick to their sound yet 

are undeniably progressive. 

5 

RUTH B. 

THE INTRO 

New artist Ruth B. has burst 

onto the scene with her debut 

EP The Intro. The young singer/songwriter 

sings with the 

heart of a much older woman. 

It doesn’t take a music genius 

to know she is something 

special. Let’s hope The Intro is 

only the beginning. 

5 

THE STRUMBELLAS 

HOPE 

Hope is the third studio 

album from The Strumbellas. 

Their sound is best described 

as soulful rock with a slight 

country twang. Hope is uplifting 

and relentlessly addictive. 

Just try not to sing along! 

4 

64 


myhydrolife.ca

Hydrolife Magazine June/July 2016 (CAN Edition)

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